The Center of Excellence for Materials Research and Innovation (CEMRI)*, hosted by the Laboratory for Research on the Structure of Matter (LRSM) at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn), pursues a program that provides crucial support for faculty, post-docs, and graduate students drawn from different disciplines to tackle complex fundamental materials problems that can only be addressed in a truly collaborative mode, and that are likely to underlie future technologies and economic needs of society. Four Interdisciplinary Research Groups (IRGs) are central to the Center. The first group explores the interplay of curvature- & elasticity-induced interactions in liquid crystals, colloids, and on interfaces; new findings will thus generate new abilities to manipulate soft matter using surface structures & membrane geometry. The second group creates materials inspired by virology from novel synthetic macromolecules such as self-assembled Janus dendrimers & designer proteins; the new materials, with virus-like structure & functions, will be useful for sensing, communication, and actuation. The third group investigates disordered packings of atoms, colloids and grains to understand how localized rearrangements of constituents organize under load; the new concepts generated will provide routes for predicting whether materials are about to fail, and for synthesis of tough materials. The fourth group, anchored by a world-class effort in nanocrystal synthesis & assembly, builds novel inter-dimensional materials from these particles, and measures emergent electronic, optical, acoustic and magnetic properties. In each IRG, theory and simulation stimulate experiment and vice versa, and answers to fundamental questions have implications for application and for the creation of heretofore un-synthesized advanced materials with unique properties. The CEMRI also supports Shared Experimental Facilities (SEFs) that enable the achievement of research goals, student/post-doc training, and outreach to our community. SEFs include X-ray scattering, electron and confocal microscopy, rheometry, electronic/thermal transport, magnetic responses, optical spectroscopy, scanning probe microscopy, and more.

The Penn CEMRI sustains creative educational and outreach programs for local K-12 school students and teachers, for undergraduates from around the nation, for Penn graduate students and post-docs, and for faculty, scientists, and students/post-docs from partnering institutions in the region and across the globe. A primary goal of the LRSM education and human resources development effort is to attract more Americans to STEM fields and take them to the highest educational level possible, with emphasis on underrepresented minorities, women, and the disabled. In addition to standard outreach programs such as Research Experiences for Undergraduates/Teachers (REU/RET), less common programs such as our Partnership for Research and Education in Materials (PREM) with the University of Puerto Rico, and distinctive programs such as our 4-week-High-School-PSSI and Southern Africa initiatives, CEMRI outreach will expand to include: the Girard School 7th Grade Science Camp for minority middle-school students, a year?long materials science elective course for high school seniors and associated workshops for teachers, annual materials exhibitions (with connections to NOVA, Philadelphia Science Festival), and Science Cafés for the general public. Local community is also embraced via imaginative telepresence such as Cable TV programs and MAGPI videoconferences to high schools (HS).

The CEMRI pursues a multi-faceted strategy to reach out to industry, national laboratories, and the international community. Currently, ~25 companies (small, medium and large) are directly involved with the CEMRI, and our Shared Experimental Facilities are widely used by local industries (~100 person-days per year). The COMPASS (Complex Assemblies of Soft Matter) Laboratory was started and will continue as a joint venture between the LRSM, Rhodia, and the French CNRS. The CEMRI also continues to play a role developing national synchrotron x-ray and neutron scattering facilities; more than 25% of CEMRI faculty are currently involved with National Labs as users or in collaborative projects; others serve on advisory panels. International links (i.e., joint workshops, reciprocal visits by faculty/post-docs/students) of CEMRI with institutes in Southern Africa, Germany, Japan, Taiwan, France, Romania, and more, have cemented genuine research ties worldwide.

*a NSF Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC)

The Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) at the University of California Santa Barbara supports research in the area of complex materials in four interdisciplinary groups. One group investigating complex fluids is focused on the creation and control of biomolecular materials. The emphasis is on biomolecular materials whose microstructure can be controlled for possible applications to the development of heat-proof proteins, artificial tissue, novel drug delivery systems, and biogels. A second group investigating solution synthesis of inorganics at molecular and atomic interfaces seeks to understand basic mechanisms of these processes and to explore the synthesis of new materials with applications to electro-optics, catalysis, and biotechnology. Heterogeneous polymeric structures are investigated by a third group. These structures include heterogeneous block copolymers for potential biomedical applications and network blends for polymer light-emitting electrochemical cells. Strongly non-equilibri um phenomena in complex materials are investigated by a fourth group that has a strong theoretical component focused on issues of practical importance in the materials area with a common theme of nonlinearity. Planned studies include fundamental mechanisms of friction, dynamics of fracture, including both conventional fracture and seismic events, the structural evolution of thin films, and phase transitions in reacting polymers. The MRSEC supports the development, operation and maintenance of shared experimental facilities for materials research. It provides seed funding for exploratory research and emerging areas, and fosters research participation by undergraduates. The MRSEC has strong industrial links and an educational outreach program. The educational program includes the Science Partnership for School Innovation and an internship program involving instructors and students from a local city college. The Center currently supports 30 senior investigators, 10 postdoctoral research associates, 5 technicians or other professionals, 35 graduate students, and 25 undergraduates. The MRSEC is directed by Professor Anthony K. Cheetham. %%% The Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (PARSEC) at the University of California Santa Barbara supports research in the area of complex materials in four interdisciplinary groups. One group investigating complex fluids is focused on the creation and control of biomolecular materials whose microstructure can be controlled for possible applications to the development of heat-proof proteins, artificial tissue, and novel drug delivery systems. A second group investigating synthesis of inorganics at molecular and atomic interfaces seeks to understand basic mechanisms of these processes and to explore the synthesis of new materials with applications to electro-optics, catalysis, and biotechnology. Heterogeneous polymeric structures are investigated by a third groupwith potential biomedical applications and polymer light-emitting electrochemical cells. Strongly non-equilibrium phenomena in complex materials are investigated by a fourth group that has a strong theoretical component focused on issues of practical importance in the materials area. Planned studies include fundamental mechanisms of friction, dynamics of fracture, including both conventional fracture and seismic events, the structural evolution of thin films, and phase transitions in reacting polymers. The MRSEC supports the development, operation and maintenance of shared experimental facilities for materials research. It provides seed funding for exploratory research and emerging areas, and fosters research participation by undergraduates. The MRSEC has strong industrial links and an educational outreach program. The educational program includes the Science Partnership for School Innovation and an internship program involving instructors and students from a local city college

New materials are typically created using the most basic building blocks of matter - atoms of the different elements in the periodic table. The Center for Precision Assembly of Superstratic and Superatomic Solids -- led by Columbia University in partnership with City College of New York, Harvard University, Barnard College, and the University of the Virgin Islands -- seeks to create novel materials from two new types of building blocks: atomically thin sheets stacked into layered structures; and precisely defined clusters of atoms linked together into bulk solids. The Center research will provide better understanding of low-dimensional materials and their interactions. This understanding will aid in the design and discovery of new materials with better applications in electronic/magnetic devices, optoelectronic systems, and thermoelectrics. The Center provides interdisciplinary graduate research training and opportunities for undergraduate research; includes research partners in industry, national laboratories, and internationally; and will build new shared instrumentation facilities available to the research community. The Center includes a comprehensive program to improve and support science education through partnerships with three local K-12 schools, and a new pilot program at the Columbia School of Journalism.

The Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) at Northwestern University supports interactive research in five interdisciplinary groups. The unifying theme of the research is the design and characterization of structured materials with unique properties for potential technological applications. One group investigates electroactive and magnetoactive molecular materials by designing molecular materials for specific electroresponsive or magnetoresponsive properties. A second group studies narrow bandgap strained-layer semiconductor materials and focuses on the synthesis, stability, and properties of these materials. Strain and/or ordering is used to tailor the band structure, and hence the optical properties. This work has high potential impact on the area of room temperature infrared lasers and improved infrared detectors. Other applications include optical communications and optical computers which take advantage of the highly non-linear optical constants of these materials. A third group investigates optically functional polymers and molecular assemblies, bringing to bear a combination of synthesis, materials characterization, and theoretical approaches on problems of fundamental and applied significance in the area of polymers with optical nonlinearities. A fourth group studies ultrahard coatings with the goal of stabilizing and/or nucleating normally unstable phases, specifically certain nitrides, epitaxially on carefully chosen substrates. A fifth group working on functional electroceramic thin films will synthesize and characterize thin ceramic films for advanced dielectric and nonlinear optical applications and will extend the deposition and characterization techniques to novel transparent conducting oxides. The MRSEC supports the development, operation and maintenance of shared experimental facilities for materials research. It provides seed funding for exploratory research and fosters research participation by unde rgraduates. The Center supports an educational outreach program aimed at pre-college science education through development of the Materials World Modules, and a program featuring research experiences for science teachers. The Center also administers an industrial outreach program. The Center currently supports 35 senior investigators, 5 postdoctoral research associates, 7 technicians or other professionals, 34 graduate students, and 16 undergraduates. The MRSEC is directed by Professor R.P.H. Chang. %%% The Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) at Northwestern University supports interactive research in five interdisciplinary groups. The unifying theme of the research is the design and characterization of structured materials with unique properties for potential technological applications. One group investigates electroactive and magnetoactive molecular materials. A second group studies narrow bandgap strained-layer semiconductor materials. This work has high potential impact on the area of room temperature infrared lasers and improved infrared detectors. Other applications include optical communications and optical computers which take advantage of the highly non-linear optical constants of these materials. A third group investigates optically functional polymers and molecular assemblies, while a fourth group studies ultrahard, specifically certain nitrides. A fifth group working on functional electroceramic thin films will synthesize and characterize thin ceramic films for advanced dielectric and nonlinear optical applications. The MRSEC supports the development, operation and maintenance of shared experimental facilities for materials research. It provides seed funding for exploratory research and fosters research participation by undergraduates. The Center supports an educational outreach program aimed at pre-college science education through development of the Materials World Modules, and a program featuring research experie nces for science teachers. The Center also administers an industrial outreach program.

In IRG2, we are establishing the field of photo-ionics, in which electronically-mediated light-ion interactions control defect populations and macroscopic fluxes of defects and ions.

The mission of the Illinois MRSEC is to (i) perform fundamental, innovative research, broadly centered on understanding the dynamic properties of materials, and (ii) support interdisciplinary education and training of students in materials design, understanding, and application.

The science of the Center seeks to form the basis for new technologies in electronics, information storage, photonics, and biomaterials that will greatly benefit society. The Illinois MRSEC leverages synergies such as: shared facilities (based in the Illinois Materials Research Lab) and resources (e.g., computation supported by NCSA/Blue Waters); the development of cutting-edge materials synthesis and characterization tools; an intellectual focus on new dynamical regimes of materials; enhanced integration of education and outreach with world-class research; a focus on improving scientific communication; and increased diversity leading to more creative and productive research.

The development of all-epitaxial metal/semiconductor nanocomposite systems by MBE (molecular beam epitaxy)-growth represents a novel and unique approach to the fabrication of precisely defined nanoscopic architectures that cannot be produced using conventional techniques. Such an approach will open up an entirely new class of materials with enormous implications for electronic devices that have the potential for new and improved performance/properties when compared to previous semiconductor technologies, thus providing materials science challenges well into the next decade.

The Northwestern University MRSEC supports innovative research and education emphasizing fundamental materials science and engineering issues that have potential benefits to society. This research effort shares the theme of "Multifunctional Nanoscale Material Structures," that involve materials synthesis, processing, characterization, theory and modeling. In addition to educating a diverse group of graduate students, the Northwestern MRSEC offers programs that prepare coming generations to better understand the world around them. High school students are introduced to inquiry-based materials science through the Center-developed Materials World Modules program. This MRSEC educates several dozen undergraduates and high school teachers annually in summer research programs. The Northwestern MRSEC has collaborative international research programs and has established the first program between a MRSEC and an internationally renowned art museum; via the Art Institute of Chicago-Northwestern University Program in Conservation Science, the MRSEC contributes to an understanding of the materials science aspects of our cultural heritage

The MRSEC consists of the following Interdisciplinary Research Groups (IRGs): IRG #1 Synergistic Linear and Nonlinear Phenomena in Multifunctional Oxide Ceramic Systems - that studies and exploits the unique attributes of oxide materials that result simultaneously in two or more functionalities (electronic, photonic, and magnetic). IRG #2 Novel Processing Routes to Nanostructured Polymer Blends and Nanocomposites - that studies and exploits the roles of non-equilibrium mechanical forces and equilibrium thermodynamics on the nanoscale structure and macroscale properties of polymer blends and composites resulting from gradient copolymerization, thermoreversible gelcasting, and solid-state shear pulverization. IRG #3 Plasmonics and Molecular Based Electronics: Fundamentals and New Tools - that studies nanoparticles that act as plasmonic switches and develops nanoscale optical characterization tools for investigating conductor-molecule-conductor junctions that lie at the heart of molecule based electronics

This MRSEC supports a broad interdisciplinary research program that investigates the mechanical properties of crystalline and glassy materials at scales intermediate between atomistic and continuum, focuses on and exploits microfluidics to develop novel materials, and explores innovative ways to make stimuli-responsive active materials by self-assembly of soft materials. The MRSEC operates a broad education and outreach research program that includes summer research experiences for undergraduates and teachers, activities for K-12 students, and programs to enhance the participation of members of underrepresented groups in science and engineering at the graduate, postgraduate level, and faculty levels. 

The Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) at Columbia University investigates ways of forming films containing complex metal oxide nanoparticles and the properties of these films through an interdisciplinary and collaborative effort. The Center is composed of a single interdisciplinary research group (IRG). The focus of the IRG research is the materials chemistry of oxide nanoparticle systems, and includes nanoparticle synthesis, assembly, and diagnostics. The Columbia MRSEC links thirteen faculty members from five departments on campus with other faculty at City College of New York, and with fourteen collaborators in industry and at national laboratories. The MRSEC maintains shared experimental facilities that meet the needs of the Center research and serve for the training of students. Education outreach efforts of the MRSEC include a summer research experience for undergraduates and for high school teachers, and an extensive visitation program to high and middle schools in New York City that brings materials demonstrations to teachers and students.

Participants in the Center currently include 13 senior investigators, 3 postdoctoral associates, 8 graduate students, 10 undergraduate students and 1 support personnel. Professor Irving P. Herman directs the MRSEC.